1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fishing accessory devices for temporarily storing rods and lures and, more specifically, to such devices which will support competitive sport fishermen in the use of multiple, ready rigged rods in tournaments and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Modem day fishermen often use a number of different rods and/or reels as well as a large variety of lures. These may be placed together in a convenient location in a boat for individual use when desired. It is preferable to keep the rods separate so as to avoid tangling hooks or lures and lines and to allow easy access to any given rod. It is also desirable to store the rods and reels in a fashion which allows easy retrieval for the next fishing trip without the risk of damage or tangling of lines, hooks and lures.
In the case of competitive sport fishing and tournaments, it is not uncommon for a single angler to use multiple rods during the course of a day's fishing or for two or more anglers to fish from a single boat with each using multiple rods. These situations create the possibility of entanglement of individual rods, an aggravating situation at best and a time wasting event during a competitive tournament. Whether one angler is on the boat or more than one angle share a boat, it is desirable to avoid tangling hooks and lines, especially during the stress of competitive tournaments.
Various solutions have been proposed for the problems of entanglement of this type. In some cases, multiple rods were stored in a locker box or in spaced mounts provided on the boat sidewalls. Individual rod cases were also sometimes used. Where individual rod cases were available, these tended to be designed as protective cases for shipping, carrying and storage, rather than for preventing entanglement in a rapid-use situation. Even if a locker box or spaced wall mounts were available, these devices were useful for storage but did not solve the problem of occasional entanglement.
Although the devices of the prior art have utility for their intended purposes, they have nevertheless failed to adequately satisfy the need for a widely accepted fishing rod sleeve which allows anglers to quickly switch rods in use during competitive fishing and which avoids entanglement of hooks, lines, lures and rod components.
A need exists, therefore, for a fishing rod sheath which is simple in design and economical to manufacture and which effectively avoids entanglement of hooks, lures and lines even in rapid-use situations.
A needs also exists for such a device which does not necessitate the use of locker boxes or mounts on the boat sidewalls but which is carried individually by the rod itself.
A need also exists for such a device which includes a combination lure accessory bag which allows storage of a rigged lure which is ready for use and yet which is isolated from the possibility of entanglement.
A need also exists for such a device which features a rod sheath and combination lure accessory bag which accessory bag is formed at least partly from a transparent synthetic material so that the stored lure is visible to the user.